Caudal Energy

Investor: Oxford Science Enterprises, Empirical Ventures

Oxford-headquartered ClimateTech startup Caudal Energy has successfully secured a £4.3 million funding round co-led by Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) and Empirical Ventures. Summary of transaction details: Value: £4.3 million (bringing total funding to date to £5.5m). Sector: Industrials & Energy / ClimateTech / Renewable Energy. Advisor: Not disclosed. Key Entities: Target: Caudal Energy; Lead Investors: Oxford Science Enterprises, Empirical Ventures; Participating Investors: Zero Carbon Capital, Creator Fund, Kibo Invest, Oxford Innovation Finance; Key Founders: John Kennedy (CEO), Hilary Struthers (CCO), Professor Adrian Thomas. Location: Oxford, UK (HQ), with field testing in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland. Note: Spun out from the University of Oxford in 2024 (originally under the name Porpoise Power), Caudal Energy is rethinking marine energy generation from first principles. Unlike conventional tidal energy tech that relies on deep-water turbines requiring extreme conditions (peak flows above 5 knots) and high installation costs, Caudal uses a proprietary oscillating foil system. This surface-mounted architecture is inspired by the biomimicry of marine mammal tail fins, allowing it to work efficiently in highly abundant "mid-flow" tidal streams of 3 knots and above. By unlocking these mid-flow environments, the tech theoretically expands the UK's potential tidal resource from 11GW to 60GW. Currently at Technology Readiness Level 5, the £4.3m injection will fund full-scale survivability testing at Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, to achieve TRL8 and prepare for commercial rollout across utility and industrial markets by 2028.